The LoveLaois Podcast

The finishing line is in sights. After months of speculation and weeks of canvassing, the country will go to the polls on Friday.  And so, for one final time before it all happens, Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett sit down for a chat.  In this Podcast we set the scene for the election where Laois is now a three-seat constituency. The lads explain when and where the voting is on, where the count wil...

General Election campaigns by their nature are always about the candidates.  On this occasion in Laois, it is also somewhat significant for who isn't running.  Charlie Flanagan has contested every General Election since 1987 for Fine Gael - his father Oliver J was a TD prior to that since 1943.  But Charlie announced his retirement ahead of this campaign, bringing to an end a local family politica...

General Elections are marathons not sprints - but we are in the sprinting phase of things now.  Four days away from polling, Alan Hartnett and Steven Miller sit down for the final time to discuss the latest goings on.  Locally, both have them have been 'On The Canvass' and recall their encounters.  Nationally, the latest polls have shown a slump for Fine Gael and the lads discuss what that might m...

After a successful first outing, our Friday panel for our LoveLaois podcast for the General Election is back for another episode.  This is once again comprised of Helen Campion, a Sinn Féin supporter from Rathdowney, Vivienne Phelan, a Fine Gael councillor from Stradbally, Brian Phelan, a Fianna Fáil supporter from Rathdowney, and Eoin Barry from Crettyard, who twice contested the Local Elections...

Sean Fleming is now the longest-standing politician on the ballot paper. First elected in 1997, he has held his seat in each of the subsequent elections – 2002, 2007, 2016 (when he topped the poll for the first time) and 2020. This will be his seventh election to contest and if the next Dáil runs its full term, he’ll be on course to serve 29 years in Leinster House. All candidates were asked to ad...

Aisling Moran from Killeen is an Independent – and has enlisted the support of her Laois County Council colleagues Ben Brennan from Crettyard, James Kelly from Mountrath and Tommy Mulligan from Portlaoise. From the Killeen-Ballylinan area, Moran has been a Laois County Councillor since being elected for the first time in 2019. On that occasion she retained the seat for the Fine Gael party, which h...

A dairy farmer in Portlaoise, Willie Aird is a veteran elected representative of 45 years, having been first elected to the old Portlaoise Town Commission in 1979 and then to the Council itself in 1985. This is his first attempt on a national level and he is looking to hold the seat vacated by Charlie Flanagan. All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candid...

Pauline Flanagan shocked us all, and maybe even herself, as she announced herself as a candidate at the last minute. Co-opted as a Laois County Councillor by Fianna Fail following the death of Jerry Lodge in 2018, she lost that seat in 2019. She ran for the party in the 2020 General Election and as an Independent in the Local Election in June. All candidates were asked to address the same three it...

Jason Lynch was very late to declare but has entered the race as an Independent. A paramedic from Portlaoise, his story is very interesting and he outlines the reasons he put himself forward. All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Maria McCormack, who lives in Portlaoise but is a native of Ballyroan, is Sinn Fein’s candidate - replacing Brian Stanley. A candidate in the recent Local Elections in Portlaoise, she got just 276 first preference votes though if the 2020 General is anything to go by, there could be considerable growth on that. All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candid...

Portarlington woman Elaine Mullally, who owns Clown Around play centre in the town, was among the first confirmed candidates in Laois for this General Election and certainly the first of the new faces. A founding member of Independent Ireland in early 2023, she was an influential figure in their Local and European Election campaigns – but parted ways shortly after. All candidates were asked to add...

From Ballinakill, Palmer was the Green Party’s candidate in the Portlaoise Municipal District in the Local Elections back in June. But that was a tough day for the Greens and she got just 296 first preference votes and was never in contention. A Parliamentary Assistant with Minister Pippa Hackett, she has fronted up again on this occasion. All candidates were asked to address the same three items:...

Austin Stack entered the race late enough as he was added to the ticket by Fianna Fail HQ. A retired prison officer, Austin is the son of Brian Stack who was murdered by the Provisional IRA after being shot in 1983. All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone...

A Sinn Féin TD since 2011 and a councillor prior to that since 1999, the Brian Stanley/Sinn Fein saga has been well documented at this stage. After resigning from the party, Stanley is now an Independent Republican and looking to to retain his seat. All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of th...

Ballyfin woman Claire Scott has a bird's eye view of General Election 2024 on a national level.  We chatted to her on Tuesday afternoon from her office in Leinster House, where she is based as a political correspondent with the Sunday Times.  She chats about her career to date from Ballyfin College to UCD, DCU and her work with Dublin Live, the Mail on Sunday and more recently the Sunday Times.  I...

The latest guest on our LoveLaois General Election Podcast is Gary Murphy, the Professor of Politics in DCU who is a regular contributor on various national radio and TV programmes.  Though he is living and working in Dublin for the best part of 30 years now, his distinctive Cork accent is a staple on the airwaves.  On top of that he has lectured a remarkable and wide variety of students over the...

Apologies for the quality of the audio - and thanks to Paul Dargan for his help in even rescuing this file - but this is our chat with Ivan Yates, recorded last Monday, November 18

The General Election is in full swing now as we are now 11 days from polling day.  Steven Miller is joined by Alan Hartnett to look back on the last week.  The pair have been 'On the Canvass' with several candidates across the county.  They tell of their experiences so far and look ahead to what is to come. 

By this day two weeks, all of the talking will be over and the people will be exercising their vote. But we have another two weeks of the campaign to go and have assembled a panel to discuss all that has gone on to date. Steven Miller is in the presenters chair and is joined by a number of political personalities. Fine Gael Councillor for the Graigueculllen-Portarlington area, Vivienne Phelan, is...

The second episode in our Transition Year series where we hear from Portlaoise CBS student Andrew Whelan. Our Transition Year series is brought to you in association with People First Credit Union.  People First Credit Union support young minds in shaping their future. People First believe in the power of community and the potential of youth. People First Credit Union – building a future of opport...

We had a bit of a mishap recording this week. On Monday afternoon we chatted with broadcaster Ivan Yates, the former Fine Gael Government minister turned pundit. Unfortunately we ran into trouble with the file, which is now being examined to see can it be retrieved. In any case, Steven and Alan sat down for a midweek General Election chat. What has Alan’s favourite viral moment been? Steven looks...

The date has been confirmed and the countdown to General Election 2024 is well an truly underway.  Here at LaoisToday, we plan to produce three Podcasts a week in the run up to November 29.  This is the first one and Alan Hartnett is joined by Steven Miller to review what has happened to date.  From Brian Stanley v Sinn Fein to various election launches, the lads cover it all. 

Moving school at any age can never be easy but it's something that Megan Kavanagh did when she and her family moved to Ireland, having lived previously in London.  Megan had done all her primary school education in London before moving to Portlaoise ahead of her starting second year in Scoil Chríost Rí.  Now in Transition Year and on work experience in LaoisToday, she is the first guest on our new...

The clue is in the name: People First Credit Union.  "We are very heavily involved in the community," says Carol Murphy, their Marketing Manager, speaking on this week's LoveLaois Podcast as People First Credit Union have come on board to sponsor our new Transition Year Podcast series.  "We like to think we are member first, they are our people they are what make our credit unions." Formed in 1969...

The Laois County Council monthly meeting returned this week and with it came another episode of screaming, shouting, finger-pointing and name-calling. A lot of it was concerned with the proposed streaming of these actual meetings.  Mark Comerford was reporting on the latest bouts of drama while we also discuss the appointment of a new Council CEO, a prison story - and Steven is joined by Stradball...